Two air rescues at Cowles Mountain

San Diego  Two San Diego fire helicopters were used Monday morning to airlift two female hikers off of Cowles Mountain in separate incidents, a fire official said.

A rescue helicopter training at a nearby canyon responded shortly before 10 a.m. to a report of a woman at the mountain’s summit who had suffered a heart attack. The response team found her dehydrated and suffering from heat exhaustion, fire Capt. Tom Stephenson said. The woman, who had a history of heart attacks, was flown to UCSD Medical Center.

A second helicopter then rescued a woman who had broken her ankle while halfway up the mountain. They flew her off of the mountain for medical evaluation, Stephenson said.

San Diego fire personnel are called to Cowles Mountain about once a week during the summer because of the high temperatures and heavy traffic on the hiking trails, Stephenson said. Two airlifts in one day is rare, he said.